A 42-year-old Cuban woman, identified as Maite and a survivor of an accident in Havana, is requesting a humanitarian visa to leave Cuba and receive specialized medical care, after reporting that she was a victim of medical negligence in two hospitals in Havana.
The call was spread from the United States by Osvany Sánchez, promoter of the Facebook page Pesca en Miami, who, along with former boxer Lino Tomasén, known as "The Cuban Iron Man," requested solidarity support to facilitate the affected individual's departure from the country and to arrange for her treatment abroad.
"I don't want to stay in Cuba, let the smugglers bite me... a humanitarian visa, let the smugglers not bite me or do that operation on my bladder, I could even die," the woman stated in a video shared on social media.
"This was medical negligence from the Fructuoso Rodríguez Teaching Orthopedic Hospital, and then everything ended up at the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital," she added, visibly distressed.
According to his testimony, his medical condition has worsened to the point of developing bedsores, but he states that he cannot show images because platforms like Facebook censor them.
"I am 42 years old and still young, and I wasn't like this. All of this was due to medical negligence," the woman insists.
In his message, he also asked for financial assistance: “A favor to anyone who can help me with a little bit, I ask you.”
Tomasén assured that they will promote a fundraising campaign, possibly through GoFundMe.
"If you want to help Maite or know someone who can assist her with a humanitarian visa, please contact me at 786.685.9365. I will provide you with all her information so you can help her," emphasized the Pesca en Miami profile.
Both activists are appealing to the solidarity of the Cuban community abroad to provide urgent support for this woman, who fears for her life if she remains within the Cuban healthcare system.
In another video shared by the page Pesca en Miami, Maite recounted through tears the harsh conditions in which she is trying to survive in her home, after being discharged without receiving the necessary treatment.
"Today I had to treat myself with napkins. Napkins. Stuffing napkins into my bones, where they're exposed... I can't show that video because it's very ugly. Only God knows what I'm going through," he expressed.
Maite claims that she has no medical supplies or medications and reports that she was sent home "to die," with no further medical options.
"Here, they are not going to do anything for me anymore. They let me go home. There were never any treatment materials at the clinic, there were never any medications," he lamented.
Visibly weakened, she recounted that she suffers from constant diarrhea after months of treatment with antibiotics and that her intestinal flora is damaged: “I need probiotic pills. Please, help me,” she pleaded.
The woman mentioned that her pressure sores worsened at the Fructuoso Rodríguez Teaching Orthopedic Hospital, where she claims she nearly lost her life.
She was then transferred to the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital, but she also alleges that she was turned away there.
"They sent me to Ameijeiras because they knew what they had done at Fructuoso. And from there, they threw me out like a dog," he said, claiming to have evidence on his phone.
"I have been like this for seven years. They have never wanted to operate on the sores. I was always turned away from hospitals because they said I was infectious," he explained.
He currently states that he has been proposed a risky surgery on his bladder and the "trochanters," something he deeply fears.
"They want to close my bladder neck and then operate on my sores, as if I were a horse. I have to sign a paper and I could die. I don't want that," he denounced.
Maite reiterated her desire to leave the country to receive treatment outside of Cuba: “I’m 42 years old. I don’t want to die. I’m treating an exposed bone with a napkin. Please, let this go viral. I can’t take it anymore. Help me.”
The recent story of two brothers with disabilities who need surgery to improve their quality of life has touched many users on social media, following a desperate plea for help made by their mother, Yaineris Roque.
In a video shared on Facebook, Roque recounted that his children, currently 21 and 22 years old, began to experience difficulties walking and deformities in their legs when they were between five and six years old.
Since then, they have received medical attention at the Frank País, Juan Manuel Márquez, and William Soler hospitals.
The mother explained that her children underwent their first surgery on November 1, 2022, more than two and a half years ago, but unfortunately, they have not shown any improvement since then.
Desperate for answers, Yaineris contacts the Frank País hospital weekly, specifically the doctor Lara, without gaining any concrete solutions.
"Everything is a lie; the response I get is that the room is under repair, that there are no resources, that I have to wait, that I should understand the situation the country is in," he expressed with frustration.
"My children are now 21 and 22 years old, and they have only had one surgery two and a half years ago, and I don’t see any improvement at all," she added.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Healthcare Crisis and Humanitarian Visa Applications in Cuba
Why does Maite request a humanitarian visa to leave Cuba?
Maite is requesting a humanitarian visa because she has been a victim of medical negligence in Cuba and needs specialized medical care that she cannot receive on the island. The severity of her condition, coupled with the lack of resources and proper treatment in Cuban hospitals, has led her to seek help to leave the country and receive care abroad.
What medical negligence complaints has Maite made?
Maite has reported that at the Fructuoso Rodríguez Teaching Orthopedic Hospital and the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital, she did not receive adequate medical attention, which worsened her condition. She claims she was discharged without the necessary treatment and has had to care for herself with inadequate materials at home. She also alleges that there were never any supplies or medications available during her treatment at these facilities.
How is the community seeking help for Maite?
The community, led by activists such as Osvany Sánchez and former boxer Lino Tomasén, is appealing to the solidarity of Cubans abroad to support Maite by obtaining a humanitarian visa. A fundraising campaign is planned to cover the costs of her treatment and travel abroad, possibly through platforms like GoFundMe.
What other recent cases of medical negligence have been reported in Cuba?
In addition to Maite's case, other instances of medical negligence have been reported in Cuba. For example, the case of a child in Granma who passed away due to a lack of proper diagnosis, and that of a minor in Guantánamo who did not receive the necessary care after a traffic accident. These cases reflect the deficiencies of the Cuban healthcare system and the lack of resources and proper medical attention in the country.
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